Your professor says an awful lot of things during class. You can't possibly write it all down, nor should you. To take the best notes (and ace your exams), pay attention to your professor's cues—conscious and subconscious.

Part of a great guide on note-taking strategies by Brett and Kate McKay on The Art of Manliness, these are the tell-tale signs that you should be writing down what your professor is saying:

Anytime the professor says, "You need to know this," or "This will be on the test." Duh.

Anytime the professor repeats himself.

Anything the professor writes on the board or includes in a Powerpoint slide.

Anything the professor repeats very slowly so that it can be taken down word for word.

If your professor starts talking more quickly, or loudly, or with more emphasis.

Watch for language that shows relationships between ideas. These sorts of points are often where professors get their exam questions from:

first, second, third

especially, most significant, most important

however, on the other hand

because, so, therefore, consequently

Another great tip is to write down any examples or hypotheticals the professor offers, because you'll probably see a similar one on your final, especially if you're taking math or science classes or are in law school. Examples are also key in computer science/programming classes.

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Sometimes, depending on the professor, paying attention is the hardest part. But keep your ears perked for these keywords and points and you might find yourself with more effective notes. Photo by Columbia Admissions